Treatment of petroleum products



Patented Mar. 11,1930 7 v 1,750,420

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS B. MUHLENIBERG, F UPPER DARBY, PENNSYLVANIA TREATMENT OF PETROLEUM PRODUCTS No Drawing. Application filed December 15, 1925. Serial No. 75,618.

This invention relates to treatment of peas hydroxide of iron. I have found, however, troleum products and more particularly to that the gelatinous suspension formed when a method of removing odor and color from oxide of iron is treated with an excess of an gasoline, kerosene, head oil, and similar peammonium solution may be employed in subtroleum products. stantially the same manner as the solution of 65 Such products contain impurities consistcopper hydroxide. ing principally of sulfur which impart to In operation, any suitable mechanical them avery offensive odor. means may be employed for obtaining the I have found that these impurities may be necessary contact between the solution and substantially entirely removed by treating the oil or petroleum product to be treated. As 60 the product with a solution or suspension of stated, I have found that the use of a sprina hydroxide of a heavy metal. The hydroxkler head arranged over the tank or container ide solution is passed through the body of by means of which the solution may be oil and when it separates from the oil, the sprayed into the body of oil in a number of impurities settle to the bottom with the solufine streams is advantageous. The streams 65 tion and the oil free of color and odor, may of the solution then pass downwardly through be removed from the top of the container. the oil, removing the impurities which settle In practicing the process, I prefer to use in the bottom of the tank or container and an ammoniacal solution of copper hydroxthe oil and solution form in two layers with ide. This solution is then sprayed over the the solution at the bottom. The solution may 70 body of oil to be treated which is arranged be Withdrawn either continuously in regulatin a suitable container and it passes through ed amounts, or periodically by any suitable the oil in a plurality of fine streams and durmeans and returned to the sprinkler head at ing its passage through the oil, the solution the top of the tank and this operation may be removes the sulfur and other impurities from repeated continuously until the oil by test the oil and they accumulate in the bottom of has been sufficiently purified and the color the tank or container. As the solution is and odor removed. sprayed into the oil, it passes to the bottom WVhile I have described in detail the prewhence it may be removed by a pump or other ferred practice of my process, it is to be unsuitable apparatus and again returned to the derstood that the details of procedure may be top of the oil. This process is repeated until widely varied without departing from the substantially all of the impurities are respirit of the invention or the scope of the submoved and a substantially colorless and odorjoined claims. less product is obtained. In some instances, I claim: the oil after being removed from the con- 1. The herein described process of treattainer may be filtered through fullers earth. ing petroleum products containing sulfur im- It will be apparent from the foregoing depurities to remove such impurities therefrom scription that my process is preferably carwhich comprises spraying an ammoniacal ried out under atmospheric conditions and solution of copper hydroxide into the body that a certain measure of agitation of the of the petroleum product being treated, said material being treated is effected by the acsolution and said body being at substantially tion of the spray on the surface of the mateordinary atmospheric temperature, removing rial being treated and by the circulation set the solution from the bottom after it has up by the pump in returning the treating sopassed through the petroleum product, relution from the bottom of the treating apturning the solution to the top of the body paratus to the top thereof. of the petroleum product and subsequently As stated, various hydroxides of heavy separating the purified oil from the top of metals may be employed in place of copper the solution. hydroxide. Some of these metals are insolu- 2. The herein described process of treatble inasolution of ammonia, such for instance ing petroleum products containing sulfur impurities to remove such impurities therefrom which comprises spraying into such products copper hydroxide in the presence of an excess of ammonium hydroxide, the copper hydroxid, ammonium hydroxid, and the petroleum products being at substantially ordinary atmospheric temperature and separating the purified oil from the treating solution.

3. The process of purifying oils which comprises treating the oil under substantial atmospheric temperature conditions With a compound formed by the reaction of cupric hydroxide and ammonia.

4. The process of desulphurizing hydrocarbons comprising treating the hydrocarbons under normal atmospheric conditions With a solution of a compound formed by the reaction of cupric hydroxide and ammonia, and agitating the mass.

5. The process of desulphurizing hydrocarbons Which comprises treating the hydrocarbons under substantial atmospheric conditions With a solution of a compound formed by the reaction of cupric hydroxide and ammonia.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

FRANCIS B. MUHLE NBERG. 

